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Saving his cat from choking on a mouse, this man contracted Bubonic Plague (i.i.com.com)

submitted ago by watchesyousleep

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[–]dylanstalker 821 points822 points ago

At least include the article.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/oregon-man-survives-black-plague-lose-fingers-toes/story?id=16806758#.UFz2PVHYFvs

[–]ieatbabies92 116 points117 points ago

I live in Bend, this made everyone freak out.

[–]xyzornat 32 points33 points ago

I live in Bend, too. I remember seeing something on KTVZ last week about this guy.

[–]Barmleggy 45 points46 points ago

I saw this too, and it's nothing to worry too much about. I believe this was a particularly rare artisanal blend of plague imported from Portland, where, I'm told, the dream of the 1490's is still very much alive.

[–]mosnil 7 points8 points ago

Pssh, the plague's been over in Portland for a while, that's why people in Bend are just getting it now.

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    [–]9_Million_Comments 23 points24 points ago

    He is a true BLB.

    [–]Genuinefake1 17 points18 points ago

    http://imgur.com/fRBcZ there you go

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      [–]danE3030 6 points7 points ago

      I like how the title of the article says that he is "lucky" to be alive, implying somehow that maybe he isn't really lucky at all and should've died instead of having to live as a poor fingerless bastard.

      Poor guy. Was anyone else surprised that he shot the cat?

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        [–]Kenster180 7 points8 points ago

        I live in St Helens and it made me freak out.

        [–]CJMills 3 points4 points ago

        Fellow Bendite here, also freaked out. Good thing I'll never go to Prineville, so I'm safe.

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          [–]mattreeder 223 points224 points ago

          "He is so positive. He's very positive, eating and exercising his hands and fingers, trying to move them. He's just happy to be alive," Gibb said.

          Should have worded that a little better.

          [–]Deputy_Dud 286 points287 points ago

          RIP Oxford Comma.

          [–]happyhyphae 62 points63 points ago

          who gives a fuck about an oxford comma?

          [–]wiggywestside 22 points23 points ago

          Thanks to this youtube video, I finally put two and two together when Ezra says "first its to the window, then its to the wall, lil' jon, he always tells the truth". This is genius and you are awesome

          [–]alexrose 12 points13 points ago

          I don't get it :(

          [–]anewfeeling 14 points15 points ago

          Till the sweat drops down these balls?

          [–]BaronVonSlapNuts 13 points14 points ago

          Till all these bitches crawl?

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              [–]CatFiggy 9 points10 points ago

              I don't think the problem is a missing Oxford comma.

              [–]snokedawg 42 points43 points ago

              The short answer is that the Oxford Comma doesn't exist in the AP Stylebook.. It's part of the dumbing down of America where most all written media released to the public is done with the understanding that the audience has nothing greater than an 8th grade reading level. End user documents such as user guides and assembly instructions are being written that same way. Even some installation documents as well are being written for an increasingly blunted audience through a casual writing style. Colloquial writing encourages people not to think, not to question, to just accept a message as fact. A less educated population is a manageable population and this is a legitimate barrier to success.

              I'll be surprised if this comment goes longer than five minutes without a correction.

              [–]sil3ntgh0st 18 points19 points ago

              It hit 11 minutes. You should have taken the over.

              There are many problems I have with the AP Stylebook, mostly because of all the changes and lack of changes they've made through the years. But I wouldn't say it's "the dumbing down of America."

              There are very few newspapers that use colloquial writing, and all of the ones I've worked at actively tries to not use colloquial expressions. But when you're writing stories that pertain to subjects that have a lot of technical jargon, your job is to write it in a way that a majority of readers can understand without having to pull out a dictionary. Writing newsprint isn't writing a novel. Not everyone has finance or engineering degrees. Most people don't even have a basic understanding of police jargon. It's not because they're "dumb" as you say, but because it's not their field of expertise.

              A journalist's job is write stories that most people can read, understand and, if done properly, will be interested enough to learn more on the subject.

              Except sportswriters. Those guys can pretty much use every sports jargon in the book and get away with it.

              [–]snokedawg 7 points8 points ago

              I'll accept the over because I like your answer. Naturally there is industry specific jargon that must be avoided, but part of my criticism is that much writing doesn't challenge the reader. I do not believe that at any point I said that the audience is dumb. Simply stated they are not being encouraged to be smart.

              News writing does get a break because it is informative. Journalism has been and will always be a vital function of our democratic republic. It is important, for the reasons that you state, that a topic be made easily understandable to a person of a certain language proficiency. At the same time though the dumbing down that I mentioned is evidenced by the news media lacking new information in favor of simple reporting. Yes, making the story interesting enough for the person to want to learn more is important, but in today's society an individual's initiative should not be taken for granted.

              And sportswriters also get their own special pass as they are usually people that proudly show everyday that they in fact dressed themselves.

              EDIT: spelling

              [–]Captain_A 3 points4 points ago

              As a sportswriter, I'd like to point out I dressed myself today and matched.

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                  [–]kurin 20 points21 points ago

                  Oh, wow. Look, I like the Oxford comma as much as the next guy, but it's a matter of style. You're not "dumbing down" anything by omitting it any more than you are dumbing down by omitting the diaeresis mark above a repeated vowel.

                  [–]msc10 11 points12 points ago

                  Agreed. For me, Oxford commas are like the 24h time format: if I can do something to prevent confusion, I will.

                  [–]Triassic_Bark 2 points3 points ago

                  No, but removing the Oxford comma changes the meaning of the sentence! It makes it more confusing!

                  [–]etan_causale 5 points6 points ago

                  Oxford commas can prevent confusion but it can also create confusion. So whether you choose to use the Oxford comma or not, there's still a chance for confusion.

                  Oxford comma guy:
                  I dedicate this book to my father, Bill, and Stacy.
                  Are there 3 people or is his father named Bill?

                  No Oxford comma guy:
                  I dedicate this book to my parents, Bill and Stacy.
                  Are there 4 people or are his parents named Bill and Stacy?

                  What's important is that you write consistently. Either use the Oxford comma in all of your enumerations or don't use it in any of your enumerations. How do you avoid the confusion? Just be wary of ambiguous sentences and rephrase/restructure your sentence:

                  Oxford comma:
                  I dedicate this book to Stacy and Bill, my father. (2)
                  I dedicate this book to Stacy, Bill, and my father. (3)
                  I dedicate this book to three people: my father, Bill, and Stacy (3)

                  No Oxford comma:
                  I dedicate this book to Bill and Stacy, my parents. (2)
                  I dedicate this book to Bill, Stacy and my parents. (4)
                  I dedicate this book to four people: my parents, Bill and Stacy (4)

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                    [–]daimposter 0 points1 point ago

                    I use the Oxford comma.....but I never knew what it was called.

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                      [–]omgimsuchadork 5 points6 points ago

                      Be surprised, but you've got two periods at the end of your first sentence there (was that it? It was the first thing I noticed). I probably went outside the time allotted because I was busy reading the article. Shoot.

                      [–]msc10 5 points6 points ago

                      I created several exhibits for an online museum earlier this year as a graduate student, and they had to be written at an 8th grade reading level (Flesch-Kincaid Scale). In order to reach that level, sentences could not be longer than 5 words, words could not exceed 6-7 letters, and most words with more than 2 syllables could not be used. So...basically writing for children.

                      [–]Triassic_Bark 0 points1 point ago

                      I imagine somewhere around 2-4% of my sentences have fewer than 6 words. How can you even write coherent paragraphs with so few words?

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                          [–]Trucideau 25 points26 points ago

                          I don't think an Oxford comma would matter at all in this case. The confusion arises because it's two items, a word and a clause, instead of a list of three. The problem is parallelism in particular and analytic languages in general.

                          [–]sil3ntgh0st 35 points36 points ago

                          He's very positive, eating, and exercising his hands and fingers.

                          It actually makes a big difference because it separates "eating" and "exercising..."

                          The comma forces you to pause as you read it and makes it much easier to separate each phrase.

                          [–]Zoloir 12 points13 points ago

                          It is three items. He 1) is very positive, 2) [is] eating, and 3) [is] excercising his hands and fingers.

                          [–]Destrina 9 points10 points ago

                          The thing is, positive is an adjective, while eating and excercising are verbs. It's not in any way a traditional list of things that would be separated with commas.

                          Starting with a completed passive sentence, then transitioning into a poorly worded active sentence with shite punctuation and fairly wretched word order is the problem. The whole sentence is a muddled piece of crap.

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                            [–]MrWindrammer 2 points3 points ago

                            I often get the urge to use parentheses in such a case, like in a equation.

                            He's very positive, eating and (exercising his hands and fingers)...

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                                [–]jinku2608 20 points21 points ago

                                Here

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                                  [–]PalmelaHanderson 28 points29 points ago

                                  "...the ceiling panels are falling off the walls..."

                                  This bit about describing his house kinda threw me for a loop.

                                  [–]Hyro0o0 15 points16 points ago

                                  "Paul's trailer is terrible! The ceiling panels are falling off!"

                                  "Well, that doesn't sound so bad..."

                                  "Yeah but they're on the walls!"

                                  [–]rgeguypic 93 points94 points ago

                                  Charlie bit his finger.

                                  [–]My_Boston_Terrier 5 points6 points ago

                                  Gaylord shot Charlie .

                                  Two days later, Gaylord awoke with "flu-like symptoms."

                                  [–]Anjz 4 points5 points ago

                                  Mother of god... ಠ_ಠ

                                  [–]dancross 1 point2 points ago

                                  Charlie Sheen?

                                  [–]I_AM_NO_MAN_ 279 points280 points ago

                                  His decision to shoot the cat seemed to really escalate quickly...

                                  [–]Sidewinder289 25 points26 points ago

                                  The cat did end up having the plague, however...

                                  [–]Pterodactylism 3 points4 points ago

                                  So it all worked out for everyone in the end!

                                  [–]Bad_Advice_Cat 112 points113 points ago

                                  "The cat has a splinter? Better end his suffering."

                                  [–]SparklepireBETCH 14 points15 points ago

                                  This advice...I don't think I should take it.

                                  [–]cuddlep00p 13 points14 points ago

                                  Does your cat have a splinter?

                                  [–]Lettuce_Get_Weird 52 points53 points ago

                                  Just shoot him now. We can sprinkle the corpse with splinters.

                                  [–]Whispers666 11 points12 points ago

                                  Uncle Lettuce, your advice is always golden.

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                                        [–]LongRun1 50 points51 points ago

                                        I thought saving your cat to Bubonic Plague was a rather rapid escalation as well.

                                        [–]I_AM_NO_MAN_ 15 points16 points ago

                                        When he shot it, he didn't know that. He was 'saving' it from choking.

                                        [–]Wind789 10 points11 points ago

                                        The man lived in a trailer. I doubt he had the money to take it to a vet.

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                                          [–]Cadetsumthin 15 points16 points ago

                                          If your cat was choking and there was no way you could save it, would you just let it suffocate or would you end it quickly?

                                          [–]daimposter 9 points10 points ago

                                          If your child was choking and there was no way you could save it, would you just let it suffocate or would you end it quickly?

                                          [–]CaptainClearDay 2 points3 points ago

                                          Pretty sure my kid wouldn't lash out at me

                                          [–]Cadetsumthin 5 points6 points ago

                                          Well you know, Ive never really thought of that, I wouldn't want to let it suffer , and I could never mentally end my childs' life. But at the same time I would do everything in my power to do what I could...because CPR on an Infant is the same process as on an adult, but using two fingers. That being said, if I knew the anatomy of a cat, and I felt I could effectively contribute, Id give the damn thing a tracheotomy if I had to. But since I don't, If the last option is to put it down, then I would do it. (The cat.)

                                          [–]kecchin 29 points30 points ago

                                          CPR is not something you do on someone of any age who is choking.

                                          [–]goldenhealer 2 points3 points ago

                                          CPR is generally only effective if the heart has stopped beating. ಠ_ಠ

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                                            [–]I_AM_NO_MAN_ 8 points9 points ago

                                            If my pet was choking, I would work to save them, not just give up. He tried to get the mouse out and then his cat attacked him (understandable given the cat was probably terrified) and he then just decided to shoot it since it was too difficult to help.

                                            If a person was choking, would you just shoot them or let them 'suffer'?

                                            [–]Kyle772 37 points38 points ago

                                            I would shoot them in the foot. That way they don't feel the pain of whatever they are suffering from as much.

                                            [–]knightofmars 6 points7 points ago

                                            One would assume the brain would prioritize the pain coming from the choking over the hole in the foot.

                                            [–]CKTofu 14 points15 points ago

                                            Well, we've only one way to find out.

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                                              [–]Iseeyourvaluenow 3 points4 points ago

                                              You may feel a little pressure.

                                              [–]Cadetsumthin 12 points13 points ago

                                              I have no doubts that the animal was terrified! but I am sure that he did what he could to help it...I mean...if you can see the mouse in its mouth then, dude suck it up and grab it...but if the mouse is deep in its throat and you can not reach...you will probably not be able to reach an emergency clinic in time before it suffocates, and if you use some sort of tool to get it out and the cat is flailing around you might end up hurting it more. The article only briefly states the situation. Who is not to say that the man didn't try any of the other alternative options? If it were a human I would do everything I could because I ( and many other people) know how to preform CPR on a human...if i were to do that on a cat I feel like I would break something in it because they are smaller and more fragile. But If i were choking and there was no possible way for anyone to help me and I was in some remote destination...Id rather be killed quickly than suffocate. But that is my opinion, Im not some kind of sick minded killer...and love and respect all animals...except for rats...Fuck rats.

                                              TL;DR If there are no other options to help a choking cat, I would shoot it as well, to put it out of its pain. Im not THAT crazy...and Fuck rats.

                                              [–]Tabs555 2 points3 points ago

                                              Of course I would shoot them. I shot my fish when it choked, my dog when it drank my beer, my car when it leaked fluids. Why not just shoot a person it's so logical!

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                                                    [–]arvidcrg 14 points15 points ago

                                                    TIL there is such a thing as cat scratch fever (aside from the Ted Nugent song). Am I the only one who has never heard of this?????

                                                    [–]Lausenschlage 7 points8 points ago

                                                    I've had it. I'm not sure which of us deserves the most mocking here.

                                                    [–]llydecke 5 points6 points ago

                                                    That was my reaction when i was told I had cat scratch fever. It sucked :/

                                                    [–]Perk-a-Derk 2 points3 points ago

                                                    I didn't think it was real until my roommates boyfriend got it from one of her cats. We just laughed at him, he's a good sport. I don't know why, but that cat just hated him. The same cat that's just chilling next to me right now.

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                                                      [–]CoolBeans129 42 points43 points ago

                                                      His last name is the most unfortunate part.

                                                      [–]pikindaguy 14 points15 points ago

                                                      Shut up Focker

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                                                        [–]zinconinco13 4 points5 points ago

                                                        That's one terribly written article.

                                                        [–]thevideoclown 3 points4 points ago

                                                        Am I the only one who can never open abcnews links in chrome?

                                                        [–]ForestGnome4 22 points23 points ago

                                                        Only five to 10...

                                                        Only five to 10

                                                        ಠ_ಠ

                                                        [–]spacebrony 54 points55 points ago

                                                        In English writing, numbers before 10 are spelled, numbers after are written.

                                                        EDIT: there are many variations to this rule. It seems that this author uses this style. Some recommend spelling out every number to 100, instead of 10. It's really up to the writer and his/her preferred style/rule set.

                                                        EDIT2 that first sentence is the dumbest thing I ever wrote. Read it again. It makes zero (ha-- "0") sense.

                                                        EDIT 3: oh wait, no it isn't. It actually makes sense. I rescind my stupidity of being stupid.

                                                        [–]Spujika 7 points8 points ago

                                                        I write the lettered form of numbers up to 21. It just gets too ugly having to write twentyone/twenty-one. The lower numbers; twelve, three, nineteen. They all are good to look at and require no fancy writing styles.

                                                        [–]ahhter 5 points6 points ago

                                                        I was taught that with low numbers the most important rule was to be consistent. Using the example above, either "five to ten" or "5 to 10" would be correct. "5 to ten" and "five to 10" are not.

                                                        [–]soba_noodles 8 points9 points ago

                                                        I usually do to ten including ten (10) [10]

                                                        [–]PulpFact 10 points11 points ago

                                                        I read that with an echo (echo) [echo]

                                                        [–]lafeeverte17 0 points1 point ago

                                                        She abbreviated a word that was already shorter than the word she just used. The author is bad.

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                                                          [–]thisislacey 19 points20 points ago

                                                          It's AP style, that's the proper way to write it. It's what print journalists use.

                                                          [–]riokou 7 points8 points ago

                                                          Is there no exception for when the numbers are linked like this? Spelling out one bound of a range and writing the other as a number just seems awkward.

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                                                              [–]Arcadon 338 points339 points ago

                                                              Bring out your deeeeeead.

                                                              [–]Thor_Odin_Son 96 points97 points ago

                                                              "i think i'll go for a walk"

                                                              [–]_SquirtsMacIntosh 66 points67 points ago

                                                              "I'm feeling better!"

                                                              [–]IcyNudibranch 54 points55 points ago

                                                              No you're not; you'll be stone dead in a moment!

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                                                                [–]VisitChechnya 8 points9 points ago

                                                                Do us a favor

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                                                                  [–]whirlygirl9 29 points30 points ago

                                                                  "I feel happy. I feel happy." CLANG

                                                                  [–]IANALOGOUS 35 points36 points ago

                                                                  I'm not dead!

                                                                  [–]Bunnymancer 13 points14 points ago

                                                                  Yes you are

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                                                                      [–]orthag 275 points276 points ago

                                                                      The thing about Bubonic Plague is that it's treatable by pretty much every single antibiotic ever. It's really not a problem for modern medicine.

                                                                      [–]_Particle_Man_ 293 points294 points ago

                                                                      His fingers back up your claims.

                                                                      [–]orthag 286 points287 points ago

                                                                      He was initially misdiagnosed with cat scratch fever and his treatment was delayed.

                                                                      [–]fooofy64 69 points70 points ago

                                                                      I don't think there is a doctor alive who would ever make "bubonic plague" as an initial diagnosis for flu-like symptoms.

                                                                      [–]KindaRight 28 points29 points ago

                                                                      And if there is, you probably shouldn't go to that doctor...

                                                                      [–]meliaesc 18 points19 points ago

                                                                      What if I have the plague though?

                                                                      [–]wanderer11 15 points16 points ago

                                                                      Then go to that doctor.

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                                                                          [–]_Particle_Man_ 86 points87 points ago

                                                                          now i have that song stuck in my head

                                                                          [–]bigsol81 35 points36 points ago

                                                                          Aww, fuck you! I wasn't thinking of the song until you brought that shit up.

                                                                          [–]sourcreamjunkie 16 points17 points ago

                                                                          what song?

                                                                          [–]thrixon 170 points171 points ago

                                                                          You know, that hit: "He was initially misdiagnosed with cat scratch fever and his treatment was delayed."

                                                                          [–]wakapedia 4 points5 points ago

                                                                          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW8S58CYQqs

                                                                          [–]rabidbasher 2 points3 points ago

                                                                          Here you go.

                                                                          [–]panniculus 12 points13 points ago

                                                                          The treatment for cat scratch fever is also antibiotics, though. I was preemptively treated for it last year.

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                                                                            [–]coltooski 11 points12 points ago

                                                                            Once you go black, you never go back.

                                                                            [–]PNut_Buttr_Panda 3 points4 points ago

                                                                            RIP plague fingers.

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                                                                              [–]serpenttyne 21 points22 points ago

                                                                              Yes but most doctors don't even think about bubonic plague initially hence delaying treatment.

                                                                              [–]superfreak77 23 points24 points ago

                                                                              Tell me about it. I got Dengue fever last December, and Salmonella a year before that. In both cases the first visit was all like "it's a bad cold"

                                                                              [–]mlevin 33 points34 points ago

                                                                              As someone who died of Dengue fever last December, I can confirm that at first it just felt like a bad cold.

                                                                              [–]123123x 10 points11 points ago

                                                                              ... At first. As someone who has had it twice, I can certainly attest to its nickname: bone breaking fever.

                                                                              [–]killrninja 10 points11 points ago

                                                                              If you're dead, and I'm here, and Istanbul is somewhere in this general area, then who the hell is THAT?

                                                                              [–]Archer007 2 points3 points ago

                                                                              ...I died outside.

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                                                                                    [–]Revolan 53 points54 points ago

                                                                                    Every single POWERFUL antibiotic. Your regular shit ain't gonna cut it

                                                                                    [–]TimothyCratchit 4 points5 points ago

                                                                                    If not Methicillin, then Vancomycin should clear that up. Otherwise, you're pretty much boned.

                                                                                    [–]Malazin 6 points7 points ago

                                                                                    Vancomycin: the "nuke from orbit" antibiotic.

                                                                                    [–]Smithburg01 7 points8 points ago

                                                                                    It cleans you out so well, you will shit out a pure bar of soap of better quality than is sold in stores for two weeks and old women will come to your house to buy it from you

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                                                                                      [–]Strayinsane 22 points23 points ago

                                                                                      The symptoms take a while to show up and doctors aren't usually checking for the plague. It's very serious.

                                                                                      [–]orthag 6 points7 points ago

                                                                                      Symptoms can appear as early as the next day, but usually appear in 2-5. That's sooner than quite a few diseases.

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                                                                                        [–]Visulth 20 points21 points ago

                                                                                        I feel like I'm missing something. Is it common knowledge the fucking bubonic plague is just hangin' around the south west? Is this a thing?

                                                                                        "In the Southwest, where it is more endemic, if you're going out into the wild, particularly where there are rodents that are known to carry the plague, you ought to tuck your pants in your boots," she said. "It's important to take precautions against a flea bite."

                                                                                        OH YOU DON'T FUCKING SAY. TUCK IN MY PANTS. GOT IT.

                                                                                        Maybe I'm overreacting. Seems really bizarre.

                                                                                        [–]Anisky 7 points8 points ago

                                                                                        Yeah, that perplexed me too. I've heard the pants in your boots thing, but in order to prevent Lyme Disease, not the freakin' Black Death...

                                                                                        [–]well_met_sir 2 points3 points ago

                                                                                        Yeah, plague is a known thing in the border states. This article shows how many per year:

                                                                                        http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1385127/Man-diagnosed-bubonic-plague-Americas-case-year.html

                                                                                        It looks like it gradually picked up from the 60s to the 80s. I'm not sure if it coincides with immigration. I wouldn't be surprised since they brought (and continue to bring) tuberculosis, which is easier to trace. (the plague comes from ticks, so you can't practically trace it back to a specific person).

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                                                                                          [–]Hitlerrific 3 points4 points ago

                                                                                          Yeah, at the same time.

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                                                                                            [–]agorby00 276 points277 points ago

                                                                                            This is the 3rd Bubonic Plague story I have read in 2 days....and I just finished reading The Stand. And I've been coughing and sneezing a lot. That's okay, I didn't need any sleep.

                                                                                            [–]jakemyers7 707 points708 points ago

                                                                                            OMG just die already

                                                                                            [–]aldude3 50 points51 points ago

                                                                                            Who does that guy think he is? Living and what not.

                                                                                            [–]jakemyers7 38 points39 points ago

                                                                                            The nerve.

                                                                                            [–]aldude3 25 points26 points ago

                                                                                            The tissue.

                                                                                            [–]Ragark 20 points21 points ago

                                                                                            The organ.

                                                                                            [–]kamajo8991 12 points13 points ago

                                                                                            The plasma.

                                                                                            [–]ziplokk 8 points9 points ago

                                                                                            I like my coffee black, just like my metal.

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                                                                                                [–]kamajo8991 21 points22 points ago

                                                                                                That was mean, but I laughed.

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                                                                                                  [–]bikinininja 56 points57 points ago

                                                                                                  M-O-O-N That spells Bubonic Plague!

                                                                                                  [–]essidus 5 points6 points ago

                                                                                                  Oh god that character made me so sad!

                                                                                                  [–]serpenttyne 15 points16 points ago

                                                                                                  Captain trips man.

                                                                                                  [–]goodoldayz 10 points11 points ago

                                                                                                  it's the baader meinhoff complex !

                                                                                                  [–]EdwardBleed 10 points11 points ago

                                                                                                  I just read about this like five minutes ago.

                                                                                                  [–]BillyWM 9 points10 points ago

                                                                                                  Ever since I learned that phrase I've been seeing it everywhere.

                                                                                                  [–]eojhet 3 points4 points ago

                                                                                                  This is due to the baadder meinhoff complex.

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                                                                                                    [–]lordlicorice 6 points7 points ago

                                                                                                    If you just finished the extended edition, then that means it's been at least 7 weeks since you passed the Captain Trips part :P

                                                                                                    [–]skyman724 6 points7 points ago

                                                                                                    ಠoಠ~~~(ಠ_O) ಠ

                                                                                                    [–]secretvictory 0 points1 point ago

                                                                                                    I refuse to read that book because everyone I know who has read it gets a cold. Pretty well written, I guess.

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                                                                                                      [–]CaptainPondo 34 points35 points ago

                                                                                                      Fun fact: Yersinia pestis is very common in Northern Arizona. Stay away from prairie dogs. See a bunch of dead prairie dogs? Leave immediately. Have a tic on you, and see dead prairie dogs, take prophylactic antibiotics and then run. It is a nasty disease but easily treatable!

                                                                                                      Source - I help sequence its genome sometimes :D

                                                                                                      [–]RochelleH 12 points13 points ago

                                                                                                      I just found out what a prarie dog is...but it's not a dog.

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                                                                                                        [–]Journalisto 83 points84 points ago

                                                                                                        That's it. I am never touching another animal ever again.

                                                                                                        [–]cmichellep 53 points54 points ago

                                                                                                        Don't pet the fleas.

                                                                                                        [–]4ray 24 points25 points ago

                                                                                                        and don't shoot your cat-with-bulge-in-throat at close blood-spraying range right after getting all scratched up by it - basic zombie apocalypse survival tip

                                                                                                        [–]Tennessean 22 points23 points ago

                                                                                                        Fuckin what? Maybe I should go back and read the article.

                                                                                                        [–]4ray 5 points6 points ago

                                                                                                        don't worry, just making shit up

                                                                                                        [–]tylerbray 1 point2 points ago

                                                                                                        Now I'm worried. :( It seems like my pets constantly have fleas, because we have three (very hairy ones) and once we get rid of them one of them gets it from another dog they play with or just out in the yard or fuck knows. Doing the anti-flea stuff only works for a short time before it seems like we have to take care of it again. I've been lazy recently because I was waiting for a day I could knock it all out - floors (been awhile), both dogs, the cat, etc. - which is hard with my schedule. Fuck. I thought aside from the itching, fleas were supposed to be cool. Not like those dicks ticks. God damn it.

                                                                                                        [–]heh_wut 31 points32 points ago

                                                                                                        "Paul Gaylord"

                                                                                                        HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

                                                                                                        Paul... what a funny name!!

                                                                                                        [–]mattroch 41 points42 points ago

                                                                                                        "Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!"

                                                                                                        [–]AQUA2 9 points10 points ago

                                                                                                        Here's an update

                                                                                                        [–]froop 115 points116 points ago

                                                                                                        Also he shot his cat.

                                                                                                        No, really, read the article. He shot the cat.

                                                                                                        [–]Lilyo 114 points115 points ago

                                                                                                        Yeah cause it was dying and suffering horribly...

                                                                                                        [–]tomstockmail 57 points58 points ago

                                                                                                        Redditors would make terrible animal farmers.

                                                                                                        [–]ishmetot 6 points7 points ago

                                                                                                        How about taking it to a vet? Most animals, unlike humans, won't suffocate if something is lodged in their throats because the windpipe is closed off from the esophagus. It's the downside of having a voicebox.

                                                                                                        [–]wadetype 21 points22 points ago

                                                                                                        And "not" because it scratched him to high hell after he tried to dislodge the mouse in it's throat.

                                                                                                        [–]ausitor 15 points16 points ago

                                                                                                        Gaylord shot Charlie to end the animal's suffering and buried the pet, who had "been a part of the family and was loved" for six years, in his yard, Gibb said.

                                                                                                        If the cat was choking, I would too...

                                                                                                        [–]ThingsIveSeenandDone 7 points8 points ago

                                                                                                        Before shooting the cat, I would have tried to give it a good swift kick in hopes of a heimlich type situation. Then maybe, just maybe, I'd try a vet, before resorting to shooting said cat.

                                                                                                        [–]ishmetot 1 point2 points ago

                                                                                                        How about taking it to a vet? Most animals, unlike humans, won't suffocate if something is lodged in their throats because the windpipe is closed off from the esophagus. It's the downside of having a voicebox.

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                                                                                                          [–]op_is_a_narwhal 18 points19 points ago

                                                                                                          but but.... the karma

                                                                                                          [–]I_smell_awesome 10 points11 points ago

                                                                                                          Bubonic plague out-karmas a cat

                                                                                                          [–]jonosvision 8 points9 points ago

                                                                                                          Any love for a cat with bubonic plague?

                                                                                                          [–]Tabs555 2 points3 points ago

                                                                                                          R/gonewild

                                                                                                          Lol

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                                                                                                            [–]gjatx 5 points6 points ago

                                                                                                            He could have tried this, I suppose.

                                                                                                            [–]tomstockmail 10 points11 points ago

                                                                                                            What's your point? He should have let the cat choke to death?

                                                                                                            [–]dancross 11 points12 points ago

                                                                                                            Do cats choke to death? My cat chokes on hairballs all the time. Maybe next time he chokes I should ask him "On the scale 1-10 how bad is it?"... Cat: Har-Har... "Did your say hurry?! Hold on, I'm bringing my gun!"

                                                                                                            [–]Maxfunky 3 points4 points ago

                                                                                                            Is it even possible for a cat to choke to death? They might choke, but not to death. While I'm sure its not completely impossible, I've never actually heard of an animal choking to death. Usually they're just able to cough up whatever was giving them issues on their own. Dogs, for instance, get bones stuck in their throat pretty often (if you're careless enough to give them bones), but they're still able to breathe well enough that you can drive them to the vet and get it extracted.

                                                                                                            Humans have issues because of our voice box, that's not something most animals have to contend with and as a result I'm pretty confident that choking to death on food is extremely rare for non-human animals.

                                                                                                            [–]infsmwetrust 3 points4 points ago

                                                                                                            A family friend gave their dog chicken bone (don't ever do this) and he choked to death. :'( So yeah, it's possible.

                                                                                                            edit: it was cooked chicken bone, which you're not supposed to give to dogs

                                                                                                            [–]skyman724 2 points3 points ago

                                                                                                            I'd imagine he looked like what a mid-sized snake would look like with a German Shephard in his throat.

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                                                                                                              [–]Marzman315 17 points18 points ago

                                                                                                              Had no idea Bubonic Plague was even still around! As if I don't have enough irrational fears already...

                                                                                                              [–]Clumpopatumus 11 points12 points ago

                                                                                                              The article says there are 5-10 cases a year in the US. It is very treatable though.

                                                                                                              [–]Sandsworth 15 points16 points ago

                                                                                                              Yeah there are quite a few permanent reservoirs of the disease. The biggest one I can think of is prairie dog towns in the mid-west united states. This is why you're not supposed to feed the chipmunks/squirrels in national parks. They have the plague.

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                                                                                                                [–]SchrodingersRapist 7 points8 points ago

                                                                                                                Bad luck Brian, meet your father.

                                                                                                                [–]Brandon_Storm 42 points43 points ago

                                                                                                                Saving his cat...

                                                                                                                You mean not only not saving his cat from choking, but shooting him dead and burying him in the yard? Sure.

                                                                                                                Neat story though. I am a big fan of the bubonic plague, which seems really strange, but it has such history behind it and is so infamous I just can't help but love reading stories like this.

                                                                                                                I'm sure people who have had it do not share my appreciation.

                                                                                                                [–]Draggedaround 31 points32 points ago

                                                                                                                Big fan, very big fan.

                                                                                                                [–]rabidbasher 24 points25 points ago

                                                                                                                Big fan of the plague myself! Well, pestilence in general. Mass-extinction events are awesome.

                                                                                                                [–]ishmetot 3 points4 points ago

                                                                                                                Well interestingly, cats also keep the rodent population at bay, so they are thought to reduce the spread of Bubonic Plague. The widespread killing of cats in Europe during the middle ages is thought to have contributed to the Black Death pandemic.

                                                                                                                [–]brcguy 5 points6 points ago

                                                                                                                Would you say you were a.... Rabid Fan?

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                                                                                                                  [–]elgiorgie 5 points6 points ago

                                                                                                                  It's so creepy to think that at one time, 1/3 of the population of Europe died of this shit....

                                                                                                                  [–]UrsaMajorasMask 5 points6 points ago

                                                                                                                  I closed this picture because I felt like I could get the plague from simply looking at it. Harrowing.

                                                                                                                  [–]annielovesbacon 3 points4 points ago

                                                                                                                  And his cat didn't even survive. Poor guy.

                                                                                                                  [–]iatethefruit 2 points3 points ago

                                                                                                                  Loimologia for the curious. I have always found this part of history interesting. 50% of Europe's population gone within 4 years.

                                                                                                                  Some of bravest people stayed behind to study it. Only to contract it themselves more than once and survived to tell the tale.

                                                                                                                  [–]Romanulus 1 point2 points ago

                                                                                                                  Bad Luck Brian's father.

                                                                                                                  [–]BeezAweez 7 points8 points ago

                                                                                                                  Charlie's diabolical plan is working....

                                                                                                                  [–]FullThrottleJedi 20 points21 points ago

                                                                                                                  gaylord..

                                                                                                                  [–]athey 2 points3 points ago

                                                                                                                  Dude! I live in that town! I'm literally 5 blocks down from the hospital that guy got his fingers amputated in. I find that oddly disturbing. o_o

                                                                                                                  For that matter - one of my co-worker's wife is a nurse there.

                                                                                                                  [–]suckrist 0 points1 point ago

                                                                                                                  ... house episode?

                                                                                                                  [–]Nihilithik 1 point2 points ago

                                                                                                                  Holy shit that sucks, but on the flip side..in the end..once you get over how shitty that was/is atleast you can say you got "the black plague" thats got some badassery laying around somewhere i think

                                                                                                                  [–]worlddevgroup 2 points3 points ago

                                                                                                                  Can't we cure that now...?

                                                                                                                  [–]ExplodingUnicorns 2 points3 points ago

                                                                                                                  The most disturbing thing is that he willingly (?) lived in a mouse infested trailer with rodent-shit all over the counters. No wonder he contracted the plague.

                                                                                                                  [–]trshtehdsh 2 points3 points ago

                                                                                                                  So that's what that looks like.

                                                                                                                  [–]frankhorriganlovesto 1 point2 points ago

                                                                                                                  There may be a treatment, but once you go black (in necrosis) you're probably not coming back. This dude's fingers had no chance when this picture was taken, from surface to deep in tissue to bone. What you see on the surface is dead and probably half an inch deep is also dead, which is entire fingers diameter. There is a urban legend even on reddit that had this issue when digging up New York City to old New York they were finding instances of turn of the century diseases to people that dug.

                                                                                                                  [–]heresmyusername 1 point2 points ago

                                                                                                                  Fuckin' Charlie.

                                                                                                                  [–]Kiwi357 0 points1 point ago

                                                                                                                  It must suck to be him. No really, look at his name; it's Paul Gaylord..

                                                                                                                  [–]nothingpersnal 2 points3 points ago

                                                                                                                  The hero Reddit needs, just not the one it deserves.

                                                                                                                  [–]woopywoop 0 points1 point ago

                                                                                                                  It doesn't make sense to me why it would get that bad. The bubonic plague is easily curable now. A few years ago a man found samples of it and was doing tests to see what causes the disease. In this process he broke one of the vials and got the plague. He decided to let it be for a while so he could record what happens when you get it. The man learned that one thing the bubonic plague does is that it causes you to throw up all drinks, thus making the contractee dehydrated. A quick I.V., some penicillin, and bed rest and soon he was perfectly fine.

                                                                                                                  [–]Pseudosmile 2 points3 points ago

                                                                                                                  well, this is a prime reason as to why cats suck.

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